P&O FERRIES saw the highest number of lorries and trailers travelling on its ferries between Larne and Cairnryan in the third quarter of the year than it has in any Q3 since 2011.

The ferry and logistics company – which operates the shortest, most frequent and most reliable ferry services between Northern Ireland and mainland Britain – carried 53,305 lorries and trailers on its ships in the months of July, August and September. This figure represents a 3.3 per cent increase on the same quarter last year.

Neal Mernock, P&O Ferries Sector Director on the Irish Sea, said: “We are delighted that more and more freight customers are experiencing for themselves the benefits of transporting goods between Northern Ireland and Britain with us.”

“Our port at Larne is fast becoming the gateway of choice for anyone exporting to or from Ireland. It has outstanding connections via rail and road, especially after the upgrading of the A8 dual carriageway, and is nine miles closer to Scotland than the port at Belfast.”

“At just two hours in total the journey time on our sailings is up to 30 minutes shorter than if you travel with our competitors. This means that lorry drivers can spend less time on the ships and more time on the road.”

P&O Ferries operates seven sailings a day between Larne and Cairnryan using two 21,000 ton sister vessels, European Causeway and European Highlander. The regular daily service provides a bridge for goods being transported between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to Britain, and also on to the continent via its connecting services from Dover, Tilbury, Hull and Teesport.

P&O Ferries is a leading pan-European ferry and logistics company, sailing on eight major routes between Britain, France, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Holland and Belgium. It operates more than 20 vessels which carry 10 million passengers, 1.6 million cars and 2.2 million freight units every year.

Together with its logistics division, P&O Ferrymasters, the company also operates integrated road and rail links to countries across the continent including Italy, Poland and Romania. A P&O Ferrymasters-owned rail terminal in the northern Romanian city of Oradea, which will facilitate the onward movement of goods to Britain from the Silk Road, became operational last year.